How To Choose The Right Flooring For Your House

 

Everyone dreams of living in a beautiful house. Once you have the house, you're often bewildered with different decorating ideas. It's a good idea to start at the basics. Good flooring forms the foundation of any decorating theme. So it's vital to get the flooring right. One aspect is selecting the right materials.

The various rooms in your house may need a different kind of flooring. You have to pick the flooring depending on the use for the room, your lifestyle and your finances. Before you get floored by the number of choices available in the market, it's a good idea to know what you’re looking for:

Your location

The location of your house is an important ingredient in your purchase decision. Do you live in a warm or cold climate? Do you have flooding or fires near your area? Studying these factors will help you make the right decision. Here's an example. Knowing that your house is situated in a moist area will give you a wide choice of flooring to choose from. You should probably pick material that will not rot away like stone, granite or marble. However, if you live in colder climes, then you can use a carpet or plain linoleum for the kitchen.

Your tastes

Your house should reflect your style and tastes. Do you like contemporary designs or a more traditional look? If your budget allows it, a hardwood flooring goes with almost any interior decorating idea. Bamboo floors or laminated floors are a cheaper option. You’ll find it easy to clean a laminated floor as a good wipe will take care of it. You don’t have to use oil or excessively scrub it.

Check the foundation

You need to check the foundation of the house before you buy the flooring. You will want your flooring to remain firm and stable and not cracked or chipped. Firstly, fix the foundation of any defects. Only then will the new flooring look good. If there is going to be quite a lot of family traffic you will want to ensure that it is resistant to wear and tear.

Garage flooring

This is one room in your house that is most neglected. The right flooring can change this room completely. If your concrete flooring is unprotected, you will end up doing repairs pretty often as it will crack. Moisture can be disastrous for your garage flooring. Well laid out flooring can be a pleasure to look at. Further, you will want your garage to be safe and clean.

Your budget

It's always best to stay within your budget but look for quality material. If you’re looking for a good discount go to a materials wholesaler. They usually sell in bulk so you get to save in the bargain. Remember, don't count the pennies as compromising on quality can cost you later when you need to spend on repairs. Do you homework prior to going to a hardware store as you need to know what you’re looking for.
You can take your pick amongst various materials for your flooring. Let's take a look at some popular flooring options:
a. Hardwood floors- These are ideal for most homes but these floors are sensitive to climatic conditions. Wood tends to contract and expand depending upon the weather. They are also prone to water damage and require maintenance.
b. Marmoleum- This is made from material that is organic. As an environmentally friendly option this is easy to take care of. Not only is it durable but it is warm and comfortable to walk on.
c. Bamboo flooring- This is one of the most durable in the market today. It looks good and comes in different designs. Your rooms will look elegant and beautiful. Bamboo flooring can be dyed to look like wood. This is environmentally friendly and is commonly found in nature.
d. Rubber flooring- If you are into sports or if you have a toddler at home who is just learning to walk, then rubber flooring is ideal for you. This reduces the pressure on your heels and knees. You will not get hurt if you fall on rubber flooring. Interlocking rubber tiles are easy to assemble on the floor.
Picking the right flooring is very important. You can use different kinds of flooring for different rooms. For example a children's room can have a rubber floor while you can pick wood for the main living room. By customizing the flooring, you get the right fit. Any room requires a good floor to act as a foundation to the rest of the decor. So keep your interior design in mind, while selecting the right flooring. The design should not clash with the floor. Keep your house beautiful and elegant and most importantly let it reflect your unique style and personality.

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Creating An Ergonomic Office Space With The Right Furniture

Today's modern world requires most of us to spend most of our time sitting down in front of our computers, totally conflicting with the natural state in which the body is supposed to be.  Sitting down for hours at an end is a leading cause of office work-related injuries.  This is why it is important to observe ergonomics and to use ergonomic office furniture in the workplace.

Ergonomics is the application of scientific and technological principles where objects and systems are designed to be of optimum use to the human body, thereby lessening or even preventing the occurrence of pain and injury to the body in the continuous use of these objects and systems. In the workplace, ergonomics is best observed in the use of ergonomic office furniture, which can minimize injuries to the user's body in the course of a day’s work.

To create an ergonomic work space with the use of ergonomic office furniture, we should take into consideration four elements: the angle of the computer monitor, the lighting of the work space, the position of the keyboard and mouse, and the supports on the chair being used.

The Computer Monitor

When you position your computer monitor on your desk, you have to take note of the fact that you would be required to stare at it for long periods of time, sometimes for hours at an end.  So, you would need to protect your eyes from the glare that can result when the light reflects on your computer monitor.

The ergonomic way of doing it is to place your computer monitor as far away from you as possible when you are sitting at your desk, without hampering your capacity to read whatever is on your monitor.  Ideally, your monitor should be around 20 inches away from you, perhaps more.

To minimize eyestrain, the angle of your head should be at a 15-degree down angle from the center of the screen.  Also, your neck should be bent in such a way that your head is at a perpendicular angle to the floor.

The Lighting

Proper lighting is essential in creating an ergonomic workspace.  Too much light can create glare, and glare can hurt the eyes.
The lighting in an ergonomic workspace should only be moderately bright.  What we mean by this is that the brightness of the light inside the room should be just like what it would be outdoors on a clear day.

Also, the lighting in a room should be at a right angle with the monitor in order to reduce the glare to the eyes.  It would also help to mix fluorescent lights with incandescent lights to provide a warm color of light that is easy on the eyes.

The Keyboard and the Mouse

How you hold your wrists and arms as you type on your keyboard and as you click on your mouse is a significant factor in preventing injuries to your wrist, including the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome.  If you are to follow the principles of ergonomics, you should keep your keyboard and mouse aligned to the angle of your monitor, at a negative angle away from you so that your wrists will remain straight as you hold them over your keyboard.

To accomplish this, use a desk with an adjustable tray for your keyboard and mouse.  The tray should be angled so that the keyboard is tilted away from you.  Never place your keyboard on the top of your desk; if you do this, you will strain your wrists by holding them at an angle towards your body.  Also, you can ignore the keyboard support at the back of your keyboard.  Using them is actually contrary to the principles of ergonomics, as they tilt the keyboard towards you, rather than away from you.  In addition to that, your mouse should be kept at the level where your keyboard is.

Moreover, when you are typing, lift your wrists instead of letting them rest on your wrist rest.  Use these wrist rests only when you are not typing.

The Chair

Your chair is probably the most important element that you should consider when you are creating your ergonomic office space.  The chair you should get for yourself should be an ergonomic chair.  An ergonomic chair will provide support for your arms, back, shoulders and neck as you spend your hours in front of your computer.

Your ergonomic chair should be something that is adjustable so that its height will allow your feet to rest flat on the floor.  The curve of the back of your ergonomic chair should also fit the curve of your back.  The edge of the seat should be at least one inch away from the back of your knees.  The seat of your ergonomic chair should also be wide enough to fit your hips and thighs without being squeezed or pinched in.  An ergonomic chair with a high back is also desirable to provide support for your shoulders and neck.

Following the principles of ergonomics and using ergonomic office furniture in your workspace will help a lot in minimizing workplace injuries to your body.  Be kind to your body and set your workplace up with ergonomic office furniture!

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